Day 201 – Make plans on individual and collective capacities
Today, I wanted to expand a little bit on some messages that I’ve shared before, which are about Mohanji’s approach to work, his fierce willpower, and the way that he lives a “get it done” attitude. He has a clear plan, and he’s moving ahead with that, regardless. This means it can be very challenging and demanding to work closely with him. Because the words “it’s not possible” or “it can’t be done” are not something you can easily say to Mohanji because for him there’s always a possibility. Impossible doesn’t exist. Or, if there’s a lock, then that also must be a key and it’s a job then to find it. This is the approach that we’ve been taking and it’s incredibly rewarding and inspiring to work this way because I’ve seen over the year that my capacities have really increased from what I thought was possible before.
One of the extensions of this type of lesson is to plan based on individual and team capacity, because if we don’t do that, and we plan on somebody else’s support, banking on the belief that they will help, there’s no guarantee. If we’ve started a project saying: “Okay, this is going to happen because this person said that they all support and this person has also decided they’ll contribute,” there’s not really much guarantee that it will happen, and if it doesn’t, it can become a problem. But if we plan based on what we can individually and collectively do as the Mohanji family, then there’s a greater chance of success.
Then in bringing people, and having them also walk with us, he always reminds us that we can only inspire people with our life, what we do, or our actions; words don’t mean so much. If people decide to walk with us and support us, then we’re lucky. But if they don’t, it’s still important to achieve what we want to, even if that means sometimes taking steps backward to go forward again. But leaving or stopping a project is not a good idea because that really would hit self-esteem very badly. In that sense, success is the only real purpose.
Day 202 – Connecting with nature
This morning, we’re doing some film shooting with Mohanji and a cameraman, taking advantage of the early morning hours in the good light. As we were here, just waiting for people to set up, Mohanji asked me to just look at a tree and explained something from that, which I thought would be really great to share with you all today.
As we were waiting, he just said, “Look at the tree and look what you see.” That’s what he said, and after some time, he said, “Okay, now go beyond the form. What do you see? What do you feel?” So, looking at the outward tree, then connecting with it more, and then that sense of stability comes, and peace too. He said, “Like that, with everything in nature, it speaks to you.” Then he also asked, “Where do you feel it? Where does it connect with you?” For me, it was in the chest in the heart area. He said, “That’s the feeling. That’s what we can get from nature.”
He shared this before and has also recently been speaking more and more about why it’s important to connect with nature, especially for children. Because all of nature is talking to us all the time, if we can be with it, listen to it, and we can receive from it, from the tree for example, that communication of stability, strength, and peace. He also spoke of how in the modern day, we live in a world that is very much divided up into squares, boxes, rectangles, and cubes. Rarely are we natural, out in the wildness of nature, and reconnecting with that can bring a lot of stability for people.
So, this was something small I wanted to share with you today, but it is also very, very big, as it is about the power of connecting with nature, and especially how we can bring that more into our lives.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 19th March 2023
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
Yesterday, we drove in the car with Mohanji to an ACT initiative in Serbia. He asked a general question, “What do people actually get from talking bad about another person, judging them, making opinions about them, sharing these and discussing them? What is anybody actually gaining when they do that?”
I answered in a way that I thought was best: “Well, this becomes a barrier for people on the way towards liberation,” I’d shared in recent messages that any time there’s a separation, it’s a moving away from unity. But he quickly replied, “You can forget about liberation. This is just simply a fundamental of being a human being, a full, stable, contented human being. What is anyone gaining through this act of talking about people?”
It’s a good point for contemplation and one which initiated this message this morning. So, why do many people make opinions of others? Why do they talk badly about others, judge and criticize them? What is anyone gaining other than the heaviness and regrets?
We spoke in the car about this too. Mohanji shared that it’s simply playing the drama – when people are involved in this, they act out the play of the mind with its likes and dislikes, swinging from one to another.
Even if people aren’t directly involved in someone’s life, they also tend to form opinions. People become upset or even angry at others because of who they are or other people’s life choices. Why do we involve ourselves as long as it’s not harming others? It’s the other person’s life to experience. We don’t need to judge, restrict or deny the experience. So, when we put a judgement, opinion, criticism, or control on that, it restricts or denies an experience they probably wanted.
Before being spiritual, we can be human. We can leave people to live their lives, whether a father, mother, sister, brother, child or co-worker. We can simply leave them alone to experience their chosen life and free them/ourselves from the heavy burden of judgements, opinions and criticisms because this can create expectations, ownership, and the associated pains that come with that.
I have observed Mohanji with people, and he doesn’t look at what they do personally. He doesn’t make opinions or look at their habits or character. He sees people as human beings. That’s something to learn.
To leave people alone. Let them be. So, it was an interesting thought: What does anybody gain when the judgments and criticisms are put onto another and can we leave people to be free and live their lives?
Day 200 – Power of selfless service
Yesterday (30/05), Mohanji was invited to give a Satsang for the Serbia volunteer team. The core volunteers have selflessly given their time and resources to the platforms.
It was a powerful and inspiring Satsang. The opening was a good reminder of the power of selfless service, doing something without any expectation in return, and giving what we have for the world.
Mohanji shared the two main benefits of selfless service.
1. Purification
2. Lightness
Purification
Through service, we are purifying ourselves. We are purifying the greed, competition and ownership elements – all these get nullified. Less ownership reduces karma, and purity happens as we express something unconditional.
Lightness
We feel lighter; selfless service is a tangible experience. Life gains much more clarity. There is less fog on the road of our life, more awareness and much less burden due to ego shedding. As we’re giving towards those activities, we can better handle the storms of life.
He said more than any meditation, the service element brings purification. I’ve shared before that all the platforms established are opportunities for people to express and give their time, their talents in various ways, which automatically reduce karma or exhaust desires.
The selfless action, the purification element, is working without ownership. Because you’re just giving yourself – your resources, your hands, your legs, arms, whichever it is- there’s no attachment to the activity, ideally, which also becomes a purifying activity.
One of the hindrances of selfless service is the greed factor. When people ask, “What’s in it for me?” We have been trained and educated in this transactional way of life. When I give you something, I get something in return. This expectation dilutes selflessness.
He said that this could become one of the natural hindrances to selfless service, an inherent expectation that because we’ve given our time, sweat, money, or whatever it is, we should get something in return, so always keep that in check.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 12th March 2023
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
Yesterday, Mohanji attended a fantastic panel discussion here in Belgrade, which was organised by the Vlade and Ana Divac Foundation. This panel discussion was really good. The title of it was: ‘The role of an individual in overcoming conflicts in a polarised society’. Many distinguished guests attended. There was an NBA Hall of Famer, a motivational speaker, the head of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, and a Harvard professor. Obviously, Mohanji was there too, and many other guests, and Vlade Divac too.
Here is the link to the whole event. Mohanji’s speaking time starts at 19:08
Mohanji’s speaking slot opened by answering a question from the host, who shared Mohanji’s quote: “Dare to be different. That is your signature in the world,” and he asked, “Is it easy to be different in today’s world?”
The answer to this question was a good one for me, so I wanted to share this, almost in its entirety, because it also left me with a question that I will share in this morning’s message. So, it’s dare to be different; that’s your signature in the world, and how easy is it actually to be different in today’s world. Mohanji answered this nicely actually. He started by saying that the whole world is actually unique. All creations are unique; we’re all unique. So, we’re already different by birth; by nature, we’re neither higher nor lower nor equal to anyone else, which is a really good reminder.
Our thumb impression is unique; our eye retina is unique. So, each of us has something unique with an amazing potential for expression in the world. But we refuse to accept that, and society, how it’s constructed; mainly, its education is provided to compete and compare. And this could be for positions, money, space, or anything, but that’s the predominant teaching, to beat the other. And then this is where all the other divisions happened. Then we become attached to the positions and the relations. So, if anything becomes a threat to those or affects those things that we’re attached to, we become upset. So, Mohanji also explained that, now, within the world, fear is given in bulk to people, with COVID especially. With all the changes and all the turbulences, there’s a really destabilising atmosphere in the world at the moment. So, there’s a big fear also of losing those positions and relations. But we forget, as he reminded us very nicely, that we are all here on a tourist visa. We came with nothing; we leave with nothing. Everything is temporary.
So, in also explaining this, against the quote, we realise that there is something beyond all these things, and we realise what we are, minus all these temporary attachments. There’s a power there, where there’s no need for fear. And this gives us that dare or that Lion’s heart to face the world. So he explained the real reason, or the fundamental reason that you can trace it back to, is that there are polarities in the world because of that education, wherein we’re taught to compare and beat and win against the opponent. But the real victory is winning over ourselves. So this statement left me contemplating yesterday and this morning, so I know what that means for me. And so, I’ll save any explanation of what I think and leave this space so that you also can think about what that means for you, winning over yourself. Daring to be different because that’s your signature in the world. Hope you have a great day ahead.
Day 198 – The benefit of extreme action
Mohanji’s mode of work is extreme action. We were speaking the other day, just a general conversation and Mohanji shared a story that made me laugh. It was at a time when we were passing through the security at Delhi airport, and the security guard asked him what he does as a job, and he told him that he teaches meditations and yoga, so the guard said, “Oh, so basically, you do nothing.” Then Mohanji asked, “Well, how many hours do you work? Eight? Well, I’m pretty much working 24 hours,” and I think the conversation shifted slowly.
But this was a good prompt to share a bit more of my understanding, now that I’ve spent more time with Mohanji, about the benefit of being in the presence of that state, of that energy of extreme action, even though it can be quite demanding. It’s related to the guṇas that we are made up of: the tamasic – the sort of slow sluggishness, the laziness – rajasic action; and sattva – the peaceful, stable state. I’ve shared before that the pace of working with Mohanji is really relentless; it’s constant. There’s not much time to think. The level of activity is so high that there’s very little time to think, in fact, and what I’ve learned and confirmed with Mohanji is that that’s exactly the point. Because when you’re working with Mohanji, and also he said, any other Master for that matter, you’re pushed into a state of hyper action. Because you need to move from the usual easy, sluggish, downward energy, or tamas, which is your procrastination, laziness, doubting, criticising, gossiping, comparing, all that type of stuff, and shift into a mode of action, where you’re beginning to do things.
That’s like a momentum building up over time, one activity, another activity, another, and then another, so that it’s really speeding up that state of action, and the idea is that it becomes so intense that eventually it becomes a state of sattva, where it’s an extreme action, but actually inside, you’re completely calm. Things are happening, but you’re not fully attached to them. So, until you’ve reached that state, there are obviously peaks and troughs; you’ll move up into a state of action, where things are really going well, and then fall back down to tamas. In the presence of Mohanji, that’s when the butt-kicking happens, and your butt is kicked so that you get moving again and are pushed up into that rajasic state.
So, that’s generally the benefit of being with a master because that happens much more frequently. Why is it a benefit? For many, it seems like hard work, which it is, because it can be quite demanding. But what’s actually happening is that tamasic tendencies – your laziness, heaviness, being caught up in emotions – bind you to mindsets, and also, ownership is more. Being pushed into that action, there’s no time to think, and when there’s no time to think, there’s very little emotion attached to the activity. There’s very little ownership attached to activity too, and the lack of emotion and lack of ownership means that there’s not much karma that you’re accruing from the work that you’re doing. So, it’s heavy and quick purification whilst not acquiring anything more.
That’s one of the benefits, but at the same time, it’s challenging. This was a different perspective on being with Mohanji, the work, and the pace, with the ultimate goal being to move up towards a more peaceful state of sattva.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 12th February 2023
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
The other day Mohanji was speaking in satsang at the program in Serbia named “The Truth Called You,”- that being our innermost essence, beyond all our identifications of personality, beyond the mind, habits, patterns, fears or phobias, all these types of things. What is the innermost essence with which we can connect?
He shared a great metaphor, which had me thinking this morning, and this was about the connection that people have with Mohanji. When you come into connection with him, transformation automatically begins to happen. I’ve mentioned in some previous recordings that a Master is an external projection that points you back to your inner guru, which is your innermost reality. That’s what you’re coming into connection with. As Mohanji explained this, I reflected on the previous year I spent with him and connected with him before that.
He described that coming closer to him is like a candle coming closer to fire. So, if you imagine a candle, it will slowly begin to melt as you bring it closer to the heat. Like that, the layers of wax, the coatings of wax melt. Similarly, for ourselves, our layers and our coatings begin to dissolve in that connection. Those layers are being removed! That’s the shedding of our patterns or habits or even desires.
In retrospect, before meeting Mohanji, I had typical Western habits like eating meat, drinking, etc. Although I was eating less red meat then, soon after meeting him, I realized that these began to drop off. It seems like that connection was something that didn’t allow that anymore, or it wasn’t necessary. So, they left. Not that it became pressure, they just dropped off.
As I’ve spent more time with him, with that proximity or that connection increasing, these things have become more intense and subtle. Rather than some outward habits, hidden insecurities start to surface, fear of what other people may think, fear of society, and these types of things. These are typical things most people have, and then other things like emotions, such as anger and maybe some jealousy; these layers start to melt away.
I’ve also witnessed this with others who connect more closely with him. The candle metaphor mentioned earlier does not necessarily imply physical proximity. It’s instead the intensity of the connection. So, although people might not be physically around him, the intensity increases when that connection increases and this shedding of the coatings of layers happens in people’s lives. For me, this helped crystallize experiences that occurred previously and over the past year.
Day 196 – When we compromise, we are weak, and when we complement, we are strong
“When we compromise, we are weak, and when we complement, we are strong”; this was something that Mohanji said yesterday. The quote caught my attention and stuck with me. Often when I look back at the person I was, I understand the lessons and transformations that have taken place.
Yesterday was the last day of the Serbian retreat “The Truth Called You”. It has been fantastic. Mohanji remarked on the high level of receptivity and level of understanding of the participants, which meant that most of his satsang was liberation orientated. People had a strong desire to know, to have more profound realizations.
Mohanji asked some good questions. One of them prompted writing and recording this daily message. It was, “How much time do we spend on someone who doesn’t care or love us, and because of that, how much do we compromise ourselves?” It was a good question. I was thinking about this as he spoke. As I peered into my past, I realized that I was often trying to bend, adjust, and do cartwheels; all sorts of tactics to make some people love and accept me. In that process, I would bend myself completely out of shape and become unnatural, not in alignment with who I was or what I wanted to be doing.
I know now that it doesn’t work when we try to be something else. So, a clear message is that we become weak when compromising. It’s beginning to dawn that being my authentic self is my true strength. And chasing after others or compromising my own life makes me weak and unstable, with higher insecurities and complexes. I truly understand that my authenticity is my strength,
On the other hand, complementing each other has brought strength. Accepting myself and allowing others to be themselves entirely, gave all stability. In Mohanji’s talk, he said that what naturally follows is our commitment and responsibility towards those who love and care for us.
If people don’t like us, it’s no problem. We must live our own life, who we are, our truth, and our frequency because that’s the best we can give. He stressed that we must remember to be ourselves and connect to ourselves. It’s been my experience that as I’ve changed naturally, my relationships have had to adjust too. As my journey unfolded, my relationships with family and friends had to adapt somehow. It was a difficult time.
It’s crucial to have that stability and security inside so that you’re still stable no matter what happens outside. No storms can bother you, and it’s possible to sail regardless. It’s the idea of not compromising too much. People will love you or hate you, but you can always be okay, stable and content with yourself. So that was my reflection and lesson from the satsang yesterday.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 5th February 2023
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
Today, I wanted to talk about one of the simplest lessons, yet one that can also be the hardest; at least, that’s what I found in my experience. This is simply letting go and forgetting any wrongs, injustices, hurts, and all the bad things that people may have done to me throughout my lifetime, the most hurtful or unpleasant experiences in life.
Like many, I’ve experienced them, and although I’ve never really been someone to hold on to a grudge or go to any extremes to seek revenge, those memories would stay, and they would be quite painful. The specifics of those aren’t important, but they mainly involved relationships, family, work, or something unpleasant that had happened to me. But after being with Mohanji and learning from him, and observing him, my perspective on forgiveness has completely changed.
Now, I have more appreciation for the power of forgetting. Once I began to forget these events, “Okay, I recognise that this happened; this was the situation…” it brought the awareness that I’ll never truly know why that event occurred. I’d have my perspective, I’d have my view, based on my experience, but I would never understand the full picture, the full past of what brought that event to life, but there was no need to carry it either; completely letting go meant that I felt light inside.
There are some great meditations and processes now that are available for this, which really helped that cleansing inside, the inner cleansing, The Power of Purity being one, and the specific forgiveness process is available too.
Also, what is interesting is that I’ve heard Mohanji say that forgiveness itself can actually be a subtle mind game. Almost a subtle play of the ego because who are we to actually forgive? We make statements like, “Okay, I forgive this person; it’s okay. I’m happy now; I’ve forgiven them, I held on this long, but now I forgive.” But really, what’s happening in that situation is that nothing has changed the event that took place, but you’ve created some sort of satisfaction because you’ve come to a point where you are saying, “I am now forgiving,” which has an element of the ego and ownership of the situation. But forgetting generally, Mohanji said, is very important because as we move through life, we can collect and hold on to too many events, emotions, and situations, and these can really bog us down.
He says, in quite a funny way, that we often then become walking trash cans, or we carry so much junk from these events and simply live as a hangover of the past, not knowing what burden we’re carrying. So, simply forgetting has a lot of power. Now, during a recent satsaṅg, somebody asked a very good question; I think in their culture, their language, there’s a phrase, I can’t remember it now, but they actually emphasise the importance of “Don’t forget: A bad situation happens to you, but never forget it”.
We clarified that this has some value or merit in it. It’s not that you’re not forgetting what that person has done or what the event was or what the situation was, and holding on to it. It’s more that you don’t forget the lesson that you need to learn from that. You take the lesson, and you remember that, but you detach from the situation itself.
So, those were some short words on the lesson of forgetting.
Day 194 – Increase Self-dependence
Today, I share a lesson on increasing dependability on ourselves. When you look at what Mohanji has established in the world, he is incredibly impressive, especially when you consider the circumstances that he has had to go through in life, such as the loss of his daughter, being betrayed in business, developing illnesses; essentially, he was reduced to nothing, he had to start again from fresh.
If you look at all the platforms that he has created, these are powerful platforms, a collection of organisations that are serving the world in many diverse ways. Many people have helped him over the years, and he really, truly appreciates everybody’s contribution and what everybody gives to the organisation. But what I see is that it has been his strong willpower and determination that have given life and energy to all of these activities.
When you observe him, you realise that he’s not afraid at all to walk alone because he has done that before and he would happily do it again. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy the support and the teamwork; he will regularly say, “If we’re going to do something, let’s do it together, let’s walk together. At the same time, if you feel it’s not for you, then no problem, but I’m still walking”. That’s the attitude he has, which means that whilst he appreciates everybody, gives respect to everybody, and gives opportunities to everybody, he’s not dependent on anyone.
That’s a very powerful way to live life. It’s a fierce way to live life, and over time, I’ve been learning this on various levels. In the past, I would be reliant on or have a subtle need for approval or validation for happiness. For example, I’d like to know that I’ve done something well or be recognised or for someone to comment on my work, which I think is natural for most people. But now, living with Mohanji, it’s like living with a mirror, which is showing you all the aspects of myself that I would tend to ignore, or I would tend to push away.
It is not comfortable to confront them. Generally, the action and the behaviours will do everything to highlight those, so you can push through them; it’s not nice. This was one of the subtle dependencies that I realised I had, which was a need for approval or recognition. How did I know that I had that dependency? When I would feel affected if it didn’t come, and with Mohanji, it rarely, if ever, comes, especially for me, and especially if there’s an expectation. If I believe I’ve done something well, and I think there’ll be praise, it won’t come. So, a good job or work completed would often be met with just one word from Mohanji: “Good,” followed by: “Okay, this is what we need to do next.” It’s always on to the next steps.
Another dependency, which has been a really big lesson, is trying to complete the work in the office because it’s great to work together as a team. I really enjoy achieving something as a team. But in the office, it can be a very challenging situation because timelines are very, very, very tight, and the pace is quick, which means the work is dynamic. There’s a pace that has to be achieved, and sometimes, it’s not possible to rely on or be dependent on others to work at that type of speed or have that kind of flexibility. If someone can do it, great, but what we do, and what I’ve learned, is that we should try not to have a dependency on someone. If something’s not happening, then okay, no problem, that’s fine, we’ll find another way, or we’ll find another option or outsource the work. That even applies to my activity; when Mohanji has given me tasks, and if he sees that I can’t do something, it will go to somebody else.
There’s no dependency anywhere, and I include myself in that. The lesson from this is that I find great stability, which comes from an increased self-dependency or self-reliance because it forces a connection to the potential within, and the realisation that there’s always a solution to every situation, and we have the capacity inside and we can expand that capacity too. That’s what’s happening now; I’m exploring and deepening the potential for what is possible, and that is actually fun to explore as well: looking at what I can handle myself.
Not that life has become a solo endeavour, but it has become much smoother and much more free and enjoyable, as the happiness and the corresponding successes are also coming and being developed within. Some of the dependencies that people could think about as well are dependencies on places, materials, and even events.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 29th January 2023
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
Today I share a lesson, which is more of an ongoing exploration. Mohanji shared with us that God is a presence. He shared that God is everywhere and that this presence activates all of life, including us. As humans, we can connect with that presence inside, which is always there. He has described this as the oil inside the almond seed: it exists, but it’s not outwardly visible until the almond is squeezed, and then the oil comes out.
He’s not suggesting that we need to be squeezed. But there’s a way to connect to the presence inside through silence beyond the mind. He also shared that this is difficult as, in the waking state, we’re addicted to all our – thoughts, activities, possessions, experiences, and outward actions in the world.
I used to find this difficult to understand and what helped me was a metaphor used based on the sun. The sun as a presence is always there, always giving light. It’s only because of the earth’s rotation that we see, or it appears to be, that the sun rises and sets. But it’s there all the time, providing nourishment and energy for life to exist. The light is always there. But individually, if we decide to close ourselves behind doors, or windows, shut the curtains, which we could say is our mind; our patterns, habits, or identifications, and we decide to sit in darkness, the sun will have no problem. It’s still there; it still does its job completely unaffected.
This then also prompted me to ask, “Okay, well, how do I know? How can I if I am connecting to the presence inside? Is there a measure of progress which I could use?” For me, it’s one thing to hear this and to understand it logically or intellectually as a concept, but how can that translate into experience, something that I can hold, taste, or say, “Okay, I understand something’s happening, and this is true.”
These are a few benchmarks I picked up from Mohanji, the signs we can recognize connecting to that presence. (For me, it’s still an exploration that’s in progress)
1. Reduction in thoughts and overall chatter of the mind – your thoughts are reducing; the habitual ones which used to come are no longer there. That could mean increased silence within.
2. A clear reduction, or a complete avoidance, of any criticisms, judgments, gossip about others or other negative interactions. This naturally happens because there’s an increasing acceptance of my own life and that of others, recognizing that we don’t really know what makes up a person. The best we can do is to accept them as they are, as another being. This has been the most tangible for me.
3. A reduction in the usual desires and patterns that I once had. These patterns and desires would push me to do things in the world, like interacting, going to places, and doing things I was attached to. These have dropped off completely, or their intensity has reduced. And I’d put that down to detachment.
Day 192 – Acceptance unites & doubts separate
We are here at the Serbian retreat and at the program called “The Truth Called You”. So far, it’s been a fantastic series of satsangs. Mohanji has shared some great insights; understandings of the path of liberation. Yesterday in satsang, he was asked a very honest and sincere question, which became another solid understanding of the importance of acceptance.
Q: “How can I increase my connection?”
Mohanji: “Imagine a bridge between you and me, and there are maybe five steps across the bridge. What brings you closer?
Acceptance. Acceptance of him (Mohanji) as he is.”
Q: “What takes you away or separates you?”
Mohanji: “Doubts, criticisms, judgments….” (Just doubts, but it extended into criticisms and judgments.)
I’ve always loved how simply Mohanji can put an answer across. He shared that anything else is really a play of the mind. The level of connection he speaks of means it’s always there, and it’s the mind creating that separate identification purposefully, so that separation is created.
He continued to speak more on acceptance of people and shared a funny story, which made me laugh, yet also contemplate on acceptance of others, especially people in my own life. It’s much easier, he said, for us to accept animals and nature, very easy for us to like a cat or a dog or any other animal, but other humans… That’s where it becomes a bit difficult.
I include myself when I say that we are quick to form opinions of others, to judge and criticize. It’s something I’m becoming much more aware of from my past, and now seeing it, observing it with other people, is that people can be quick to buy the opinions of others from others. People talk or give their opinion on somebody else and then hold it as if it’s theirs. This can even turn into future conflicts and even more intense impressions about that person.
He shared one man’s approach to accepting others, which I really liked. It was a story from his shipping days. Mohanji worked in the shipping business, managing freight from various countries as a Country Manager. Whenever there was an important shipment or cargo, he would personally go and supervise.
He’d spend time on the ship, and he would be with people, with the crew, and one man Mohanji said, used to call everybody by an animal name.
“Oh, look, here comes the tiger. He’s angry again.” Or, “Did you see what the monkey has done?” Like that, every person had an animal name. Mohanji asked the man, “Why was he calling them animals and not by their name?”
The man said, “Well, I find it much easier to accept him that way. Because I know a tiger will always be like a tiger, a monkey will always be like a monkey, and an elephant will be like an elephant! Although they are like this, it is fine; I can accept them more easily.” I found that approach very ingenious – interesting thought of what also stops me from accepting others.
To conclude, the message from Mohanji was: Acceptance is what unites us, and if it’s difficult to accept others, as Mohanji always says first, we can at least begin to accept ourselves.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 22nd January 2023
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
A few days back, Mohanji held a satsaṅg for all the participants who had been participating in the 21-day ‘Beat your Tamas’ challenge, run by the Early Birds Club. In short, he shared something very simple about the Early Birds Club – that, at its core, it is about transformation. As I listened, he said some really good points I wanted to share today.
When we want the transformation to happen, there are two things that we need to consider. The first is that we have to walk for it to happen; we have to take steps; we have to take action if that’s what we want. The second is that we need to know where we’re walking to. This is the path of liberation, freedom from all the usual bindings, patterns, and everything that keeps us bound within the mind. Mohanji is there with us, energising us and smoothing the way, but only we can walk. That really stuck with me because whilst he’s here, he’s giving the guidance, the support, and the suggestions, which are coming from a higher awareness of what’s good for us, what’s specific for us to exhaust our karma and take us towards those steps. But we have to walk, and we need to know where we’re walking to.
I also found it interesting that he said, in this talk, that it’s important that we understand our realities and how we interact with the world. For example, he mentioned that we’re eager to love something outside of us, to interact with the usual world with all its entertainment, things that the senses can enjoy, and the mind can roam around. Because we like what gives us pleasure, and we find that in relationships, materials and experiences.
“But in those activities,” Mohanji asked, “are we truly satisfied?”
For me, this was a question that came to me many years ago before meeting Mohanji. In fact, that’s probably what prompted me to search and then eventually come into contact with him.
I was involved in many things in life: relatively successful, travelling, and doing everything I wanted to, but it was empty. I also thought that many people are eager to rush back out to the patterns that we once had, how we used to live life, and because of that, it’s creating a lot of frustrations because the reality in front of us is that it’s not possible anymore. The COVID situation has really created a different world. That resistance is bringing challenges for people. In that talk, Mohanji shared again that this is a good time for us to go within to connect with something that is much more permanent. He posed a really good question, which I was contemplating too: “Are we more committed to our patterns or to liberation?” This was a really good question, I thought, especially now, because there’s a lot of fear, worry, and anxiety.
He also made the point that liberation is the opposite of fear. It’s love, and that’s enough to be able to take steps to progress. He shared that that first starts with ourselves, spending time with the person that we wake up with every day: our own self, appreciating ourselves, respecting ourselves, accepting ourselves, and that’s actually love in action.
So, for me, it was a really good message, a really good reminder, and it also brought a new depth and understanding of the power of transformation that’s possible through the Early Birds Club and that morning routine of waking early, connecting with yourself, being with yourself, and then taking that stability into the world.
Day 190 – The Inner Guru is our Ultimate Reality
Today, I wanted to share something that Mohanji said recently, which became a real point of contemplation for me. This was about external gurus, and I’m sharing what I took from that conversation.
Mohanji said that we all have an inner guru, a personal guru inside us; we have that essence. That inner Guru is our ultimate reality, then the waking state guru, whom we connect to and identify with in the waking state. I’ll say that again because it was an important distinction for me: in the waking state (we have three states: the waking state, the dream state, and the deep sleep state). In the waking state, the external Guru is a reminder of our inner Guru. All external gurus are purely reminders of what’s already inside us. He continued that our job, really, of a lifetime, is to find that inner Guru and fully connect with it, and if that’s our job, then the job of an external master is simply to point their finger towards what’s inside us, our inner Guru.
That, he said, is a reason why it’s important to connect with ourselves, understand ourselves, spend time with ourselves, respect ourselves, and come to understand that what we are habituated to connecting to outside, all the things which the mind loves to enjoy is something that is pulling us away from that, keeping us outside.
This was a small statement, but for me, it left a deep impression and required much more contemplation because I feel that the connection inside is also reflected outside; at least, that’s how I’ve experienced my connection with Mohanji. Over the time that I’ve spent with him, it has changed, and it’s because of an increasing connection within. He continued that the moment that happens, we fully connect with ourselves, we understand that there’s no conflict, and if there’s no conflict within, there’s no conflict with the outside world. At that time, there’s no fighting, no criticism, no judgments, no anger, no hatred, no jealousy, and no competition. Because at that point in time, once we’ve reached it, we will see ourselves in everybody, in everything. In order to become spiritually mature, that’s what we need to reach.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 15th January 2023
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
Day 187 – Willpower (Iccha Shakti) is Your Strength
Yesterday was an inspiring day for the team here in Slovenia. We received confirmation that the Mohanji Institute has been officially registered, which means we have a registered entity here in Slovenia. The papers arrived only hours before Mohanji was to depart from Serbia. It was an opportune time to reflect on what was achieved here in the past one and a half months – an outstanding achievement.
The experience has been a real practical lesson of what can be achieved through willpower and determination. It’s been a group effort of many people with tremendous determination to complete work in good time and to achieve something together. Mohanji, of course, was the energy and the driving force behind many tasks, such as setting a clear vision, giving a clear picture, subsequent steps, and advice when we encountered obstacles; the team pulled together and achieved a lot.
It has been a different experience for me as most of my work is with people or on the computer. It was possible to see tangible results daily as the boundary markers on the land were laid, fences put up, trees planted, hedges planted, and birds began to feed on the bird feeders. We were witnessing the Peace Centre come to life before our eyes. It has been an important lesson in teamwork when there’s clear focus and determination because there were many obstacles and issues to manoeuvre.
It was also a humbling lesson of the grace that comes when working with Mohanji because he arranges nearly everything if we only take the first steps. For many of these tasks, such as fencing and planting the bushes where we needed more experience, the right people came with proper support. And whether this was with expertise, contacts, skills, machinery, or even coming to feed us lunchtimes, it all fit into place and flowed with ease. Even the weather was held at bay on days of meaningful work, and when we would return to share the day’s progress and our surprise at how it didn’t rain, Mohanji would smile, thus achieving a lot in a short time.
I’ve shared the details in various Mohanji groups. We’re all looking forward to continuing the following steps to bring to life the Mohanji Peace Centre here in Slovenia. I was reflecting on Mohanji’s main points, where he stresses this path and life in general, the need for willpower and determination, especially if we want to achieve something in life.
The other day, we were speaking about karma and destiny, and I wanted to know if it’s possible to change this. Because for example, we may have some patterns which keep pulling us back into the usual terrestrial world of senses and experiences. I wanted to know: Is this destined to happen? We’ve got these solid patterns and inclinations to do specific tasks and activities. We’re indulging in certain things or being a certain way. Is that destined, or can we do something about it? He replied that it all depends on our priorities, what we want in life and then, of course, our willpower.
If our goal is to achieve the highest in this lifetime, and we have the corresponding willpower or icchā śákti, then it’s possible. Mohanji said that’s enough to take you to the highest – willpower, focus, and determination.
Day 188 – “A Month with Mohanji”
Yesterday, I shared a message on what can be achieved with willpower, and the focus of that was the progress we’ve made here in Slovenia towards the Mohanji Peace Centre, and it has been a lot. It’s been a productive time, despite all the challenges of COVID. We’ve completed much more in that short space of time, and I wanted to share more of this because I think it gives an authentic flavour and colour of the pace, the speed, and what we’re capable of once we have that willpower, determination, and focus.
For me, it has continuously been a living lesson of what is achievable personally, and everybody involved has also found new capacities they didn’t believe or know that they had before, which is incredibly satisfying and rewarding.
Today I’ll give a chronology of what we’ve done since Mohanji arrived in Slovenia as an inspiration of what we can do with his energy behind us. It also gives more of a flavour of Mohanji, his laser focus, clarity, and proactive steps to do more in the world, leading from the front.
If we go back to when we first arrived here
Slovenia Peace Centre work
We arrived on the 22nd of March and then had to spend ten days in quarantine. During this time, it wasn’t possible to leave the apartment. After our quarantine period ended, there was a 10-day lockdown in Slovenia for the Easter period because of COVID. So we were left with just a month, four weeks, in which we’ve completed everything on the land, including sourcing the suppliers, sourcing people, agreeing on the work, finding suitable materials, arranging events, arranging the meetings, and completing the work. I’ll share the progress we made for the Peace Centre again.
Humane Airports
Alongside this, what’s impressive when we look back is that we launched the “Humane airports” initiative, which was sparked by an incident in Frankfurt. We launched humaneairports.com, which was formed after the incident of severe harassment at Frankfurt Airport. The purpose is to change how air passengers are treated in airports globally. This was all the good work of contacting authorities, the embassies, and everything we did to move that campaign forward.
Launch of coffee table book “Mind.”
Another significant achievement is completing the first ever coffee table book, titled “Mind”, a beautiful book. It’s a collection of quotes on the mind by Mohanji, which is also set to a charming design with great photos of him, which can be a perfect gift.
Mohanji asked for this, and when he initially asked how long it would take, the response was probably three months. So, we set a target, “Okay, let’s aim for three weeks,” and then, in the end, we did it within three days. People were surprised at themselves; that they could do it at that time. It gave a deep sense of accomplishment as it involved setting a focus, meeting a challenge, and a timely goal to achieve it. This was alongside all the usual calls, meetings, several satsangs and interviews.
We even visited Lake Bled’s beautiful, incredible natural surroundings, which also doubled as an inspection for future projects and activities here in the Slovenian region.
I wanted to share this again because many can take inspiration from this. All of us became aware of our new capacities and could reflect on the limitations we placed on ourselves, of what is possible and what is not. I include myself in this.
Mohanji allows us to go beyond what we believe we can, and it’s gratifying when you see the results.
The key learning is that we can do much more than we think; the main ingredients are willpower and determination. “A Month with Mohanji” is the perfect case study.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 8th January 2023
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
Day 185 – Don’t let past mistakes drain the energy of today
Mohanji lives his life very practically. He regularly says, “Before being spiritual, be practical.” I’ve been working with him now for over a year, which has given me the opportunity to become involved in many new activities, projects, and work, which I never would have thought of. These have been both great experiences to learn from, and also, in the process, opportunities wherein I’ve made many mistakes. I would even consider some of them as failures on a level, although following Mohanji’s lead, I know that unless we stop, nothing is really a failure. We have to get up and keep moving. This way, we would have learned something, and at least we’re taking steps forward.
I’m a person who likes to do something well, as best as I can, especially if I’ve been entrusted with responsibility. But sometimes, not everything goes to plan. There are difficulties issues, obstacles, or even mistakes. Previously, I would really take these to heart, and what that would mean is that I would be remembering what had happened for a long time, which means I would feel bad, and my motivation, self-esteem, and efficiency too would be affected. Temporarily.
It would take some time to accept that and then carry on. What’s natural is that it completely eclipses all of the accomplishments or progress that would have been made. Following Mohanji’s life, wherein he says that he’s made many mistakes in his lifetime, some of them have been repeated. But the important thing is to move on from those and take the lesson which you get because all of life is an experience. So, taking that lead from Mohanji, it’s learning to take each situation as it comes. We will all make mistakes. But what that does is it creates our present moment at that time, and if we want to be fully effective in that moment, this moment, then we have to let go of what’s happened, even if it’s a mistake, which we really didn’t like at the time, and we have to handle what’s in front of us now, today’s reality, as best we can, because that way, energy is not drained.
If we’re constantly thinking over what’s happened, what could have done, what could have happened better if only we did this, “If only I did that… What if I did this? I should have done this,” then all the energy is completely drained on that mental activity. By being with today, what today’s reality is, all the energies can be focused on the present, and I’ve found that this is incredibly important, especially if there’s something that needs to be corrected, because then you have the right frame of mind to find the solutions at that time.
Mohanji also says, “Be cool in all those situations. Think clearly. Take time, take each step. Remove emotions from the equation. Keep a cool head, so that thinking is more clear. Judgment is better, and then better decisions are made.”
This is an ongoing lesson for me.
Day 186 – With intensity comes quicker transformation
On the path of liberation or the path of the avadhoota, there is a breaking of patterns, habits, comfort zones, and all the constructs and bindings which stop us from experiencing true freedom. Mohanji is guiding people and helping people to cross over those patterns, break the chains, and begin to experience that true freedom from the mind and the senses.
A recent conversation with Mohanji and another, around the dinner table, gave a good example of a pattern that many people hold but can be completely unaware of. I certainly had this until he pointed it out to me in Bangalore, and it was related to food. Somebody had made a comment that in the rush to get to another place, they were eating now because they weren’t sure when they would eat again, but that meant overeating. This was an opportunity for Mohanji to show the mirror and he was sharing that many people are food-orientated, and many people overeat because of an inherent pattern of something that they’ve carried for a long time, especially, if in a previous life, there was a serious lack of food at some point. It would have left an impression, which could be connected to overeating. In some cases, this can be linked to poverty consciousness, or a lack, or not having something, so the compensation for that would be eating more and eating more. This could be something that is carried over into this life. But we still have that pattern, taking that as an example. If we don’t go across that, go beyond it, then that’s something that can be repeated again, especially something which held a deep impression, such as poverty consciousness.
In Bangalore, we would eat a lot, because the food was really good, but it would then also make us sluggish, dull, and tamasic. Mohanji also pointed out to me, at the time, that this is what was happening. It was really intense at the time. That’s also something that is interesting; I now find, spending more time with Mohanji, that sometimes he will deliver a message with intensity, to make sure it’s really felt by the person, so that transformation can happen when he shows the mirror, so that awareness can increase the awareness of that pattern, which then helps them to cross over that pattern.
The other option is if that pattern is too strong, or it’s too uncomfortable for somebody to address, then they’ll prefer to stay with that pattern rather than transform. I use this example of food because it’s something that’s common to all really, and when we speak about patterns, you might think, “Well, what type of pattern?” but this is one, food, overeating, overconsuming, it can be a sign of something else.
Mohanji is guiding people to break old patterns on all levels, even something such as food. Now I see him almost like a precision surgeon, he really can identify within the person what they need to address to help them cross over to help them take the next step. He’ll deliver that with exactly the right intensity to make sure that it’s really felt by the person, that they understand it, because only then can an opportunity for transformation arise.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 1st January 2023
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
‘Let the pain be there in the body, do not suffer from it.‘– These are the words that many of us have heard from Mohanji. It’s difficult to do this – to separate pain from suffering. We always think that pain and suffering are things that unavoidably come together, but many times, Mohanji has demonstrated that it is possible to experience pain without suffering.
The Head-on collision:
A recent incident that shook the entire Mohanji Global family once again provided a solid example of Mohanji’s choice not to suffer amid great pain. During the Global Volunteer Meet Zoom call on 9th October, Christopher, Mohanji’s Executive Assistant, announced the head-on collision that their car had had on the 7th October evening whilst Mohanji was returning to Slovenia. Mohanji was sitting in the front passenger seat and had taken the impact on his heart. Chris further shared that Mohanji was initially admitted into the Critical Cardiac Care Unit in the hospital but had discharged himself at his own risk and was resting at home. While everyone in the Zoom meeting was shocked to hear this, Mohanji also joined the Zoom meeting, as it was scheduled earlier for him to address the attendees. Mohanji appeared and he spoke himself about the incident. He was calm, though his voice sounded slightly tired: ‘One thing this incident has proven is that I have a heart; I am not heartless.‘ – Mohanji ended his talk on a jovial note.
The month of October was a critical period. Three in-person programs with Mohanji – The Global Mai-Tri Meet, Empowered 5.0 and Empowered Trainers training – all spanning over 11 days, were about to start soon in Serbia – from 16th to 27th October. Mohanji was to be present in all three of these programs. ‘But will that be possible in the current situation? Is Mohanji well enough to attend the 11 days long programs in Serbia?’ – these were the questions that popped up in my head naturally. I was part of the organising team for all three of the programs, and I was travelling to Serbia the very next day on 10th October. The plan was to spend some time around Mohanji, serving him and cooking for him before going for the programs.
But now I was not sure whether Mohanji would be able to travel to Serbia and when. Anyway, I accepted the situation – whenever he comes, I will be available at his service. I surrendered my thoughts at the feet of my Guru. Later that evening, Milica, Mohanji’s PA, messaged me confirming that Mohanji would arrive in Belgrade late the next evening, on 10th October, the same day that I arrived in Serbia!
Arrival in Serbia:
Some of us gathered at the Belgrade airport to receive Mohanji that evening. We were all eagerly waiting to see him as well as we were wondering about his health. Mohanji came out of the airport looking frail physically, but the shine on his face and the smile on his lips melted all of us when he spread his arms to hug us. He is here with us, and it’s a big deal! I asked him, ‘Are you having pain, Mohanji? Are you feeling ok?’ Mohanji said in his usual style, ‘Pain in the chest is there. But I am not suffering.‘ ‘I had to run away from the ICU, you know. It was more suffocating there’, he added jokingly. Whilst I was happy to see him physically in front of my eyes, and also, although I was assured that I would be around him to serve him, I had some concerns about him flying with the present condition of his heart. With that worry in my mind, I scolded him lightly, ‘Was it worth taking this risk of flying, Mohanji? You needed to take complete rest.’
He said, ‘If I didn’t leave Slovenia immediately, then I wouldn’t have been able to travel and then what about these programs? I don’t want to cancel these programs, you know.’
Even in this condition, he is thinking about us! About the programs!
Naively, I told him, ‘Then for these next few days, Mohanji, please just relax and take complete rest, no meeting people, no meetings and no work. Just rest.’
He smiled! ‘I never stop working.’ He muttered.
Of course! Metaphysically this is true, but physically he must surely take rest, I told myself silently.
The so-called resting period:
The very next day, just like on any other day, he allowed some devotees to come and see him. He had pain in his chest, his heart condition was not good, his diet was restricted, and he was only eating two times per day, yet he would still sit the whole day and meet the devotees who came. He didn’t stop doing his work, regardless of his health condition. We could all feel his fatigue, his pain, but he never complained about anything, nor did he deny anything to people! In the next few days, Mohanji sorted out many critical and important things for various countries and MCB lands about the upcoming programs, spoke about books, wrote forewords and discussed the minutest details for the upcoming retreat.
One morning, immediately after I served him his herbal tea, he asked me to bring a notepad and sit down. I got my laptop, ready to type, without knowing what was to come next! Mohanji was in a very different state that early morning – serious and focused. He started explaining to me the roadmap of Empowered 5.0. He narrated, explained and repeated, ensuring I understood it well so I could put it all in a presentation pack. He was flowing, flawless, unstoppable. I was listening and noting down non-stop. After he finished talking, he ensured that I had cleared all of my doubts and told me to prepare the slides and show them to him later. It was almost his breakfast time, and I had to prepare for that, but he wasn’t worried. He waited patiently until I brought him his breakfast. I admired him at that time – his focus, sincerity, attention to detail and overall flow. His priority for the Empowered 5.0 program was beyond his own physical pain. Later, he even checked the slides after I had prepared them. Such a thorough approach to preparation! All of this is only for us! How blessed we are, I couldn’t stop thinking. Mohanji completed so many things during the 4-5 days in Novi Sad before we left for Zlatibor for the in-person programs; he met many people while dealing with his physical pain, and he did it all without displaying any suffering. If I weren’t there personally near him, it would be impossible to see him and understand the extent of physical pain he had.
Humility and down-to-earthiness!
While I was closely noticing Mohanji spending the entire day working, talking, and sorting out people’s problems at the physical level, I was worried about his food, rest, and recovery. While he didn’t stop working, he followed Dr Umesh’s advice with the homoeopathy medicines. Like a good obedient son, he ate well whatever I served and allowed me to give him light oil massages. Apart from this, there was no special treatment! He thanked me for giving him the right food and for the massage, etc., in this hour of need.
He said, ‘This is helping me to recover! The right food and the oil massage. You came here at the right time. Thank you!’
The truth was that actually, I was grateful! I was grateful for the blessings that I am here around Mohanji and have got this opportunity to serve him. It was only due to his grace that this was allowed. Yet he is thanking me! Sometimes Mohanji leaves me speechless with teary eyes; his leelas, only he knows!
The incident during the Canada trip in March 2022:
His physical condition never binds Mohanji, and I have witnessed this many times before. I was recollecting a very serious situation that had happened a few months back, in March 2022, during his visit to Vancouver, Canada. Not many people knew about it. Whenever I mentioned the story to others, I would get shivers. It wasn’t ordinary. Let me narrate it here. Mohanji and a few of us had travelled from Toronto to Victoria, DC, for a two-day program, and then we were scheduled to go to Vancouver for a day and then fly back to Toronto. When we reached Victoria, Mohanji was perfectly fine, but he suddenly developed a cough later that evening. The cough intensified, and then chest congestion came too. It was so bad that he couldn’t sleep and kept coughing the whole night. The next day, there was an event in a Sai Baba temple, and Mohanji had to speak. His cough was getting worse, but he didn’t cancel the program. He went ahead with the Satsang and the program afterwards, meeting many people. That night also was very disturbing for him as he was coughing continuously and couldn’t sleep.
We had to travel to Vancouver the next morning, so we wanted to know whether he should travel in this condition or rather stay back and rest; however, this would mean that the program in Vancouver would have to be cancelled. Chris and I discussed this with Mohanji because we were quite worried about his flight travel in this situation. He insisted that the program should not be cancelled: ‘Baba is waiting for me. Hundreds of people are waiting for me. I cannot cancel the program. I will travel to Vancouver; I will manage.’ He assured us.
Though the flight to Vancouver was only for 25 minutes, there was some delay, and we had a long wait in the airport. That meant there would hardly be any time left for the event as soon as we arrived! I was feeling anxious thinking about Mohanji’s constant coughing and chest congestion. Mohanji understands everything! While waiting at the airport, he kept us engaged telling some funny incidents and leaving us laughing and rolling on the floor! While I was worried about his health, he didn’t seem bothered at all. Finally, we boarded the plane and that 25 minutes of travel was the worst. It was a small flight, tight sitting and packed with people and very turbulent too. When we came out of the flight, Mohanji was feeling really restless! His cough had worsened! Looking at his condition, the team decided to cancel the program. Once again, Mohanji repeated that he could not disappoint people waiting for him. It was an event at the Sai Baba temple. Mohanji took a little rest and then went ahead to the event. New place, new audience, and despite a terrible cough, Mohanji managed the Satsang very well and kept meeting everyone with patience and with as much time as everyone needed. After the event, he spent quality time with the local team when he returned to his residence.
It had been a long and turbulent day for him, and despite his chest condition and really bad cough, he patiently performed all of his duties lovingly and compassionately. I was in constant touch with Dr Umesh and gave his medicines to Mohanji regularly.
As the evening progressed, Mohanji’s cough was getting worse. Dr Umesh was regularly on the phone monitoring his condition and guiding me about the medicines to give him constantly in small gaps. Mohanji was unable to lie down or take any rest with the persistent cough, so he was sitting upright on the chair the entire time. We were supposed to travel back to Toronto the following day. Mohanji’s condition was getting worse. At one time, while he was speaking to Dr Umesh, his cough became very severe, like a fit, and he fell on his back on the bed with his eyes rolled up; he was completely unable to breathe. For a moment, my heartbeat stopped! But I don’t know how I got the strength; with the phone in my right hand with Dr Umesh on the line, I held onto Mohanji’s wrist with my left hand and pulled him to sit upright! I don’t know how I got that strength and power. I was speechless for a few seconds, and then as Mohanji sat up, he could breathe again. My heart was racing fast, but I gathered myself and calmly, I explained this to Dr Umesh. Dr Umesh kept assuring and guiding me. During those few hours watching Mohanji in such trouble, I had no thoughts other than how to get him some relief and make sure he returned to Toronto safely.
Thanks to Dr Umesh’s excellent care and medication, Mohanji was feeling better the next morning and could travel back to Toronto. I had been witnessing the condition of Mohanji for the last two days, but despite that, he did not cancel any of his events and continued on as planned. After reaching Toronto, though his condition was slightly better than Vancouver, he was still in bad condition. It was -18 Degrees C in Toronto and snowing. Chris decided to advance his travel to the USA to leave a couple of days earlier for a warmer climate.
Before leaving Toronto, Mohanji wanted to complete some of his pre-committed events, including a visit to a devotee’s home! It was snowing, the devotee’s home was at least 1 hour of driving each way, and Mohanji still wasn’t well. Despite all this, he didn’t want to cancel this house visit and said he would complete his commitment. I had tears in my eyes, and on one side, I was feeling slightly angry as to the urgent need to keep this commitment above his health condition, having to travel a long distance in such bad weather.
The night’s situation in Vancouver flashed before my eyes, and I couldn’t imagine seeing Mohanji again in such a terrible condition. I know Mohanji doesn’t let his pain come in the way of his duties and commitments. His love for his devotees was beyond his pain! It wasn’t comfortable to watch him do this, but my heart was filled with gratitude to witness this act of unconditional love from Mohanji. While I was worried about his health within this physical reality, I was also aware of the higher purpose behind why Mohanji had taken this physical pain onto his body. He had shown me this while I was healing his body. Mohanji takes on very severe and life-threatening situations from some of his people and dissolves them through such pains in his body. Witnessing the truth in a different dimension and witnessing what was happening in physical reality was a completely different experience for me. The duality of pain and suffering, the truth beyond all pain and suffering, and the pure unconditional love that Mohanji operates from in every moment – this wasn’t easy to understand: the astounding reality of the magnanimous Mohanji!
Awareness regarding the Slovenia Accident – vision through healing
I will now share another angle about how Mohanji can endure physical pain without suffering. This is my realisation of Mohanji from a different dimension that he allowed me to witness through healing.
After the car accident in Slovenia, some of us did a healing on Mohanji’s body in that condition. I am sharing the description of the vision and understanding I had of this incident from this healing session. When I was attempting to heal Mohanji’s heart, I saw the land of Slovenia’s Mohanji Peace Centre – his heart took the shape of that land. I then saw huge flames all around that land, some houses in the land were charred in the fire, and all of the residents were perishing. Mohanji showed me that this was a disaster that he had to remove only by taking it on himself physically because it was not just about the fire on the property – it was about the lives of many of his devotees and volunteers serving the centre. While the healing progressed, I saw the fire going down, but still, there were patches of fire here and there around his heart. I knew that it was no small karmic event that Mohanji eradicated by taking the big hit on his own heart. Some effect will remain upon his heart and overall health until those small fire patches on his heart eventually dissipate and fade away.
This vision brought me clarity about the new lives that Mohanji gave to many. Mohanji didn’t show me the faces, it wasn’t necessary, but the reality is that he is standing strong in front and facing all possible storms that come, protecting his people like a loving father. The reality is that he is giving new lives – rebirths to many of his devotees like a mother taking the pains of her child and almost dying in the birthing process! The purpose behind Mohanji taking such extremely painful physical conditions onto his own body is not just an act of sympathy or even empathy. Still, these are the true empowerments that Mohanji is giving all these people through new births and a complete transformation. Many may not realise this right here and now; some will realise in time. Mohanji does his work quietly, without announcement and without taking any credit. He is totally bound to his purpose! It is also true that he will not leave things halfway until his job is done here in this incarnation! He has never done that in any of his previous incarnations. However, such incidents are hard-hitting wake-up calls for all of us. If we remain asleep in this life, we will surely miss the boat again.
While in Novi Sad, some of us who did the healing that day were narrating our visions to Mohanji, and everyone was bringing their own unique aspect of the understanding. I was getting clarity about the huge purpose behind every single act of Mohanji. Nothing is a coincidence, and nothing is an accident – this is the master plan of the great Master and the Tradition behind him to wake us up, transform us, and empower us.
The pain continues, still no suffering – the conclusion:
Coming back to Mohanji’s resting days in Novi Sad! Soon the date for the program in Zlatibor was approaching. Mohanji guided us in detail for all three programs. Soon, we all travelled to Zlatibor – almost 4 hours from Novi Sad. Mohanji was stationary at one place in his Novi Sad residence for the last four days, but he still had not recovered from his heart condition. So, the 4 hours of car travel wasn’t very comfortable. When we reached the hotel, our residence for the next 11 days, I could feel Mohanji’s fatigue and physical pain. But he had work to do, talking to the organisers, the guests arriving from different countries, etc. The program started. Mohanji was attending every day for his scheduled times and delivering powerful satsangs. But beyond that, while he was staying in his room, he was administrating every little detail, orchestrating every single movement, not just through his physical guidance, but also energetically.
Every morning, he would meet all the organisers and give the detailed directions; every lunch time, when we would come during the break and check about how the program was progressing and what people’s reactions were; and every evening when the program ended, he was taking detailed feedback too. At each step, he was advising us in every little detail – no matter what, nothing was too small or too big for him.
He was working tirelessly, sitting continuously on his chair in his room. Energetically he was aware of everything. His remote presence from the room, his physical presence for specific times every day with the people – had a huge impact on everyone. More than 200 people had gathered. Every single person was going through a unique journey, and Mohanji was there with each one, guiding energetically, physically, and telepathically – in every possible way.
There are numerous situations and experiences to share. Still, I will end this write-up with two significant examples showing you all, my dear readers, how Mohanji was working miraculously beyond his physical pain, far from any suffering. The first is an example of his action in physical reality, and the other is an example of his energy-based action on a different dimension.
Here goes the first one – as I mentioned previously, Mohanji had given us specific instructions regarding food during Empowered 5.0. The specifics were conveyed to the hotel and we had a team following it up closely. There were certain food items that Mohanji had specifically mentioned to avoid for very valid reasons. Every day, the food was progressing satisfactorily (while there were small issues and it wasn’t 100% as per the instructions). One day, due to some unavoidable reasons, they made exactly the food that Mohanji had asked to avoid. Usually, I cook different food for Mohanji so that his diet is taken care of, so he doesn’t get to see what food has been prepared in the hotel for the participants.
However, on that particular day, I was rushing to get Mohanji’s lunch, and I had yet to see or eat the lunch prepared for us by the hotel. While Mohanji was eating his lunch, he asked me if the food for the participants was ok. I told him I had yet to go to the dining hall. Then Devi walked into the room, and Mohanji asked her what was prepared for lunch and how it was, and when he heard Devi’s response, he wasn’t happy. I was shocked, too, as the lunch that was prepared that day was exactly what Mohanji had said not to prepare! It wasn’t on our menu, but it was prepared and served to all! Mohanji wasn’t happy about this negligence as that food could have a harmful energetic effect on some of the participants. ‘Wasn’t happy’ is an understatement – he was furious, and for the right reasons. Immediately after the food lead came, the restaurant team came and Mohanji spoke to them directly, clearly and firmly, ensuring that the mistake would not be repeated!
During all this time since then, I have been thinking about how it was that of all the days that Mohanji could have asked about the food, it was only on the day of the mistake that he actually decided to ask. This is not a coincidence! We may think that Mohanji is sitting in the room and only taking feedback from us, but what we forget is that Mohanji doesn’t need any physical update, reporting or feedback from us – his consciousness is alert 24/7, within every moment he is present in every place, witnessing everything that’s happening! After that incident, the hotel guys were careful and then, for the rest of the days, everything progressed as per our given plan.
Now, the second example: As the Empowered 5.0 program started, with the unusual routine people were following; no one had any idea about the intensity of the energy Mohanji had created. All sorts of releases were happening, for everyone, in their unique way, in quite unexpected ways too. On the very first day, within the first hour, one lady came out of the hall complaining of severe stomach issues with diarrhoea and vomiting. We couldn’t send her to her room alone; we couldn’t send her to any hospital at that point without consulting with Mohanji. So, in that condition, I took her to my room and asked her to rest there. Mohanji was resting at that time, so I didn’t want to disturb him. I felt that she would feel better if she rested in my room. I checked on her regularly and found that she was still having frequent visits to the toilet. At that time, I felt I could give her Mai-Tri and that if she slept for some time, at least this frequent running to the toilet would stop.
I took her permission to do Mai-Tri, and during the session, I prayed that the Mai-Tri would let her sleep for some time – or at least until Mohanji woke up! I didn’t want to disturb Mohanji at that time considering his health condition, but at the same time, I wanted this lady to relax and not deteriorate any further. A simple prayer, but miraculously, she slept for 2 hours or so.
In the meantime, Mohanji was up and had given us immediate advice to call the doctor and arrange the necessary treatment needed in the room itself. By the time she woke up, the doctor was in the room and already treating her. Her sleep was certainly miraculous! Later that day, I was narrating this to Mohanji and told him childishly, ‘Mohanji, you know, Mai-Tri works! I asked during Mai-Tri to make her sleep, and it happened! Mai-Tri really works you know.’ It was indeed funny the way I was expressing my thanks to him – but once again, nothing was too small for Mohanji. This was also the beginning of many miraculous events that happened after that.
The next morning, during his Satsang with the participants, Mohanji said to contact us for Mai-Tri if anyone had any issues. From there on began the flow of constant requests for Mai-Tri, which came from participants in the hall and online. Only 6-8 volunteers were available to give Mai-Tri at that time, and we had more than 250 sessions done! The Mai-Tri sessions during the program were unique, per specific instructions from Mohanji.
What I witnessed during the first Mai-Tri session while sitting in the event hall was mind-blowing. It took me to a different world! No – actually, it showed me the different Universe that Mohanji had created in that hall – a vision difficult to narrate. It feels impossible to justify with my words the presence of the supreme consciousness and the feeling of a tangible universe system – galaxies, stars, many different worlds of existence and energy flows of higher frequencies! In that space, doing Mai-Tri was not about relieving people from their physical pain but rather about accentuating the release of their blockages to take them towards ultimate empowerment.
All of us volunteers doing Mai-Tri had unique and powerful experiences while doing the sessions and the people who received them had astounding experiences too.
All these were happening through the energy of Mohanji – the one beyond this physical personality we often mistake- sitting calmly on his chair in the hotel room! Staying indifferent, detached, and working silently, Mohanji was still dealing with physical pain and discomfort, but he displayed no sign of suffering.
What I witnessed in the 16 days that I spent with Mohanji, from the time he travelled from Slovenia after his accident until the end of the program, is just unbelievable. It was a tangible, unmistakable example of Pain but No Suffering!
Thank you, Mohanji, for being a constant living example of every single teaching you give us. I offer my sincere gratitude for every opportunity you gave me in every dimension to witness, understand and experience who you really are.
Koti pranams at your feet.
I love you, Mohanji.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 29th December 2022
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
Experiences With Mohanji 